![]() ![]() Old, well-smoked meerschaum pipes are prized for their distinctive coloring. Meerschaum is a very porous mineral that absorbs elements of the tobacco during the smoking process, and gradually changes color to a golden brown. The word "meerschaum" means "sea foam" in German, alluding to its natural white color and its surprisingly low weight. It has been used since the 17th century and, with clay pipes, represented the most common medium for pipes before the introduction of briar as the material of choice in the 19th century. Meerschaum (hydrated magnesium silicate), a mineral found in small shallow deposits mainly around the city of Eskişehir in central Turkey, is prized for its plasticity which allows it to be carved into many decorative and figural shapes. Some pipe makers use Brylon, a synthetic material which has properties similar to briar. While both types of blocks can produce pipes of the highest quality, most artisan pipe makers prefer to use plateaux because of its superior graining. Ebauchon is taken from the heart of the burl while plateaux is taken from the outer part of the burl. Briar burls are cut into two types of blocks ebauchon and plateaux. Briar is cut from the root burl of the tree heath ( Erica arborea), which is native to the rocky and sandy soils of the Mediterranean region. The burl absorbs water in nature to supply the tree in the dry times and likewise will absorb the moisture that is a byproduct of combustion. The second is its inherent ability to absorb moisture. The first and most important is its natural resistance to fire. ![]() Briar is a particularly good wood for pipe making for a number of reasons. The majority of pipes sold today, whether hand made or machine made, are fashioned from briar ( Template:Fr icon bruyère). There is a growing tendency towards "natural" tobaccos which derive their aromas from artful blending with selected spice tobaccos only and careful, often historically-based, curing processes. blends are made of American Burley with sweeteners and flavorings added to create an "aromatic" flavor, whereas "English" blends are based on natural Virginia tobaccos enhanced with Oriental and other natural tobaccos. James Parish, Louisiana) or blends of Virginia and Burley tobaccos of African, Indian, or South American origins. Many of these are blends using staple ingredients of variously cured Burley and Virginia tobaccos which are enhanced by spice tobaccos, among them many Oriental or Balkan varietals, Latakia (a fire-cured spice tobacco of Cypriot or Syrian origin), Perique (uniquely grown in St. Tobaccos for smoking in pipes are often carefully treated and blended to achieve flavour nuances not available in other tobacco products. Expensive pipes once had stems made of amber, though this is rare now. Less common are stems made of reeds, bamboo, or hollowed out pieces of wood. Stems and bits of tobacco pipes are usually made of moldable materials like vulcanite, lucite, Bakelite, and soft plastic. Because it is molded rather than carved, clay may make up the entire pipe or just the bowl, but most other materials have stems made separately and detachable. ![]() The stem needs a long channel of constant position and diameter running through it, and this is difficult to carve out of a pre-existing block. ![]() Metal and glass are uncommon materials for tobacco pipes, but are common for pipes intended for other substances. Unusual, but still noteworthy pipe bowl materials include gourds, as in the famous calabash pipe, and pyrolytic graphite. Pipe bowls of all these materials are sometimes carved with a great deal of artistry. Minerals such as catlinite and soapstone have also been used. Less common are cherrywood, olivewood, maple, mesquite, and oak. The bowls of tobacco pipes are commonly made of briar, corncob, meerschaum, and clay. Pipes can range from the very simple machine-made briar pipe to highly-prized handmade and artful implements created by renowned pipemakers which are often very expensive collector's items. A smoking pipe for tobacco smoking typically consists of a small chamber (the bowl) for the combustion of the tobacco to be smoked and a thin stem (shank) that ends in a mouthpiece (the bit). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |